Rice speaks despite protest

Susan E. Rice, United States ambassador to the United Nations, speaks at… (Staff photo/Marta Mikulan…)

May 16, 2012|By David A. Schwartz, Florida Jewish Journal

More than 500 people turned out last Thursday evening to hear Susan E. Rice, United States ambassador to the United Nations, speak at B'nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton.

A few dozen people walked out of the sanctuary to protest President Obama's policies toward Israel but Rice did not appear to notice and continued to speak.

"The idea was we wanted to display our disapproval of President Obama's repeated actions against Israel," said Sara Brudnoy of West Boca Raton who walked out during Rice's speech. "We did what we felt we had to do. We're people who are concerned about his positions toward Israel," Brudnoy said. "I never did anything like this before."

The president is trying to "shore up the Jewish vote" in the next election, Brudnoy said. "President Obama is not a friend of Israel except when he's interested in the Jewish vote. We hope that some people who voted for him before might rethink their vote [in the presidential election]."

One man stood and waved a small Israeli flag as Rice spoke. He was escorted from the building by a Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy.

"People didn't want to sit back and hear campaign rhetoric," said Anna Cohen of West Boca Raton, another person who walked out.

Rice received repeated applause when she talked about the relationship between the United States and Israel.

"America remains deeply and permanently committed to the peace and security of the state of Israel," she said. "That commitment starts with President Obama and it is shared by us all. It is not negotiable and it never will be."

On the issue of Iran developing nuclear weapons, Rice said, "The president has been clear. It is the policy of this administration to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. We're determined to do that. It is not a policy of containment."

She said increased cooperation between the U.S. and Israel's militaries has reached new levels. And there was record U.S. funding in 2011 for the Iron Dome missile defense system in Israel.

Rice said that under President Obama's leadership, the United Nations imposed the toughest sanctions ever against Iran.

She said President Obama will not rest "until a Jewish state sits side-by-side with a Palestinian state" and Israel lives in peace and security.

Rice said it is a challenge to insure that Israel gets fair and equal treatment at the United Nations "with all the rights and responsibilities of any U.N. member state."

"The speech was extremely pro-Israel," said Andrew Rosenkranz, director of the Anti-Defamation League's Florida region. It emphasized the "unbreakable bond" between the United States and Israel, he said.

As for Rice's address sounding like a campaign speech for the president, Rosenkranz said, "She works for the Obama administration and she represents the Obama administration's position in the U.N. and Israel. What matters most is she's the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and here in Boca Raton."

Arthur Stark, a B'nai Torah member who lives in Pompano Beach thought Rice's speech was "non-political." He said Rice talked about the president's positions and his support for Israel. "I didn't view it as a political speech," Stark said.

Aliza Ranish, southeast region director for Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem who lives part of the year in Israel, thinks that Rice is sincere. "I'm sure Obama will be elected and we have to show our support so that he will fulfill his promise that he will support Israel," she said.